A Matter of Time
by GetWithIt
Summary: Julia finds herself in a very peculiar dream. It seems like it might be something of an adventure at first, but the longer it goes on the less sure she is that it's really a dream at all.
1. Chapter 1

_June 30__th__, 1995_

The girl above the hospital bed stirred slightly and let out a low moan. Her eyelids fluttered as if she were about to wake, but no one was around to see. The golden light surrounding her flickered before steadying and with a quiet whimper she fell unconscious once again.

_July 4__th__, 1995_

The comatose patients in the beds near her had not stirred once in the five days since the young girl had tried to wake. They once again remained silent and unmoving as she breached consciousness.

This time, as her eyelids fluttered, her breathing sped up and her entire body shuddered. The pale golden light bathing her features flickered weakly before disappearing all together. At last, with a heaving gasp, her eyes flew open. She jerked in midair only to fall back to her bed coughing.

_Where am I?_ She had no recollection of being in an accident, but recognized she was in some sort of hospital. It was strange; she saw no equipment near her bed or the beds of the other patients. Not even a heart monitor or an IV. _What kind of hospital is this?_

She turned her head from side to side, trying to catch someone's attention – but all she saw were other patients. When it became clear that her mouth was too dry to speak and those around her were decidedly unconscious, she settled for staring at the ceiling.

She counted the cracks she could see for less than a minute before she grew bored and tried to sit up. As soon as she tensed her muscles she knew it was a lost cause. All her muscles were sore and aching with a bone-deep fatigue. The effort had tired her and left her breathing too fast for her dry throat; after another fit of coughing she resigned herself to laying quietly on the bed.

What felt like hours later a noise drew the young girl's attention and she turned her head in time to see a nurse enter the room. The nurse was a middle aged woman with light brown hair pulled into a tight bun at the base of her skull. She was pushing a metal cart with numerous vials and glass jars.

"Plea… elp m…" rasped the girl on the bed. The breathy, almost inaudible words made the nurse look up from the cart. She sucked in a breath when she saw the hazy, pain-filled, but _open_ eyes of one of the comatose patients.

"Wait right here while I get a healer!" With that the nurse spun and practically ran from the room. _It's not as if I'm going anywhere_. The girl lay there, somewhat bemused, for a few minutes more. Eventually the nurse ran back in followed by no less than three people wearing loose, long-sleeved dresses in lime green. _Weird, _she thought as she took in the black trousers and white button-up shirts underneath the lime green. _It looks as though they're wearing matching robes!_

"I don't know what's happened!" The nurse from before was saying as she led the doctors into the room. "All the stasis charms have dropped and the enchantments around her bed are completely gone!"

Before she could blink the girl was surrounded by the two men and one woman in lime green. The nurse stood back a ways alternatively wringing her hands and straightening her dark grey skirt. Right away the three people around the bed pulled sticks from their pockets and started waving them at the confused patient.

They looked on intently as strange colors flashed and puffs of smoke formed. The girl was too weak to do much more than gasp in shock and look between the doctors' faces for answers.

The man to her immediate left was of an average height and build with dark blonde hair. His mouth was etched into a severe frown and his eyebrows were drawn together over a pair of murky brown eyes.

At the foot of her bed was an extraordinarily tall woman – she towered over her two companions – with stick-straight brown hair tied into a high ponytail and sharp grey eyes. Her only detracting feature was her too prominent nose, though it added a certain charm.

The final doctor wasclearly older than his companions. He had wispy grey hair, a receding hairline, and deep wrinkles lined his pale skin.

Too tired to jerk in surprise or protest the strangeness of their actions the girl lay there with wide eyes. As the final lavender colored light faded the doctors let out a collective sigh of relief.

The old man looked down on his patient with a smile. "Well, it seems as though everything's in order. How are you feeling Miss Scott?" The girl opened her mouth to try to speak but nothing came out. "Forgive me Miss Scott," the old man said with a wheezy laugh. "You must be very thirsty. Does your throat hurt?" She nodded as much as she was able. "Just a moment," he patted down his person a moment before pulling out a stoppered vial with a pale blue liquid inside.

The blonde man to her left pulled her upright and she slumped against him, too weak to stay up on her own. "Once you drink this your throat will feel much better! I promise," the old man was saying as he brought the vial to her lips. She parted her mouth obediently and swallowed with a grimace as the oily liquid slid down her aching throat. Almost immediately the pain eased, she no longer felt raw and scratchy, though her mouth was still very dry.

_What a strange dream… _She was reminded of the world of Harry Potter, which in and of itself was not actually all that odd. She'd had plenty of dreams about fictional places and people – her imagination was always getting away from her. The only difference this time was how real it felt. Even her lucid dreams were foggy in comparison, though she supposed it would be less clear once she woke up.

She was distracted from her musings when one of the doctors spoke. "Here you are dear," the woman said in a voice that was soft and feminine, offsetting her severe appearance. She stepped forward – taking the old man's place – and pressed a glass of water to the patient's lips. The girl drank eagerly and was somewhat disappointed when the woman removed the glass.

"Thanks," she muttered with a grateful nod to the woman. Smiling in gratitude at the three strange doctors when they waved their sticks – _wands_ she realized – and pulled pillows from thin air to pile behind her, she waited until she had been propped up to start speaking again.

"Where am I? What were those lights?" She assumed St. Mungo's since they were using wands and wearing robes – she didn't think there were very many magical hospitals that she could dream up. That would mean the lights were spells of some sort. Nonetheless dreams were always unpredictable and this one could change at any moment.

"Anderson, Nott, I'll take it from here," said the old man. "I think you should take Nurse Thomas to get some tea to ease her nerves." The girl looked beyond the healers to see that the middle-aged nurse was slightly less hysterical than before, though still distinctly frazzled.

The two younger healers and the nurse left through the same door they'd entered right after the blonde spoke in a low tone to the old man for a moment. The girl on the bed relaxed against her pillows and turned her eyes on the old man. At last the doctor turned to his patient.

"Well Miss Scott," the man began as he waved his wand through the air, collecting the pale gold dust the girl had only just noticed littered her form. "To answer your first question, you are currently at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. You were in an accident and remained unconscious until just this morning. As for the lights you saw, those were just our way of checking you out and searching for any signs of a problem. We were quite pleased to find nothing more serious than fatigue and slight dehydration."

"Oh." _What does one say in a situation like this? _"Excuse me," she began hesitantly, "But my surname isn't Scott." The old man looked bemused and shuffled to the foot of her bed to pick up the clipboard hanging there.

"Did we copy it down wrong?" he asked politely. "It says here your name is Julia Scott."

She opened her mouth to correct him but froze when she realized she didn't have a name to give. "Of course," she amended. "That's right. I'm just feeling a bit out of sorts Mr. –"

"Morris. Healer Morris at your service. Forgive me, I've gotten a tad bit forgetful in my old age – no matter how sharp I was in my youth. And don't worry about being disorientated – it's perfectly natural after waking up in a strange place with no familiar faces." He smiled at her before brandishing his wand and conjuring a chair. Julia blinked in awe – it was astonishing to see such magic in person rather than in a movie, even if it was just a dream. "Now my dear," he began after relaxing into his chair. "Could you tell me the very last thing you remember?"

Julia, despite knowing it was just a realistic dream, decided to play along in the hopes that she could do magic before she woke up. She'd had dreams where she could fly but never a dream where she could make things appear from thin air. So she thought back to the last thing she could remember, ignoring the fact that she'd never been able to think or see so clearly in a dream before.

"Well," she said after a pregnant pause. "I can't remember a specific event or anything at all really – everything's pretty hazy actually." And wasn't that odd? She'd actually tried to remember something but only came up with hazy faces and a swirl of colors. _I suppose it's like trying to remember a dream when you're awake,_ she mused. _I guess the conscious mind is just as hard to reach when you're asleep._

"That might be for the best, actually," he admitted. "You see, the accident was quite tragic – nothing a young girl such as yourself should have to deal with." He pinned her with an oddly grave expression. "I'm afraid I have some terrible news to give you Miss Scott."

Julia just blinked and nodded. "Miss Scott," he said in a world-weary tone. "The accident took your parents' lives." She stared at him blankly, wondering why this dream was so morbid all of a sudden. Looking pained he continued. "I'm sorry to say they died the very same day you went into your coma. What's more, it's been five years since you entered your coma," he finished quietly.

"Wait," she said incredulously. "Five _years_? How's that possible?" Julia looked down to see if she were bigger or looked different but if anything, she looked smaller. _Must be from the coma,_ she concluded. _I haven't been able to eat on my own in years! _She caught herself before she started to panic; it wasn't real after all.

"I realize this must be a terrible shock for you," Morris said, trying to placate her. "But it's not all bad." She made to protest – even if it was a dream she still thought that was a ridiculous comment to make – but he plowed through. "In response to the stress of the accident you had a burst of accidental magic that led to your coma. We theorize that you wanted it to stop so badly that you literally froze yourself in time."

"_What?"_ She could hardly believe how active her imagination must be if _this_ is what her dreams consisted of. "How could I have frozen time if it's been five years?"

"Well, you really only froze yourself," he explained. "When they found you and brought you here, to St. Mungo's, you were levitating in this large golden cocoon. Nothing we did could reach you through your magic so we thought you were going to die. After months passed, we realized you remained in the exact same condition as when you arrived. You were moved to the comatose ward in the hopes that someday you would wake up."

She stared at him and tried very hard not to laugh. _The things my mind comes up with, honestly! _"I was in a-a… golden cocoon? That's ridiculous!"

"It's very much the truth Miss Scott. In fact, you were producing a gold dust from your pores that the Ministry's unspeakables have been collecting twice a month for their time turners. You are the single reason why Britain has the most extensive research on Time Magic and its consequences." He took out a little jar and showed her the golden dust he'd collected from her earlier. "Because of that, we had heavy wards and enchantments protecting you during your stay here – of course, those fell as soon as you'd awakened."

"Let's say I believe you," said Julia irately. "I still don't see how _'it's not all bad'_!" She knew she was getting awfully worked up over a dream but she didn't much care. It was her dream and she'd act as she pleased. She treated most other dreams as though they were reality, even if this time she was aware it wasn't, that didn't mean she had to act like it. _Besides, _she thought, _I probably won't remember this in the morning._

"Well," he began seriously. "There was a chance you'd never wake up. At first we thought you'd exhaust your magic and die when you ran out. Thankfully, that was not the case. Whatever you did that night put you in stasis for the duration of your coma." Julia merely stared at him blankly while he removed his glasses to clean the lenses on his vibrantly green robes.

"I realize this is all very sudden and traumatic Miss Scott," Healer Morris assured her. "But we'll do everything to make sure you're healthy and as happy as you can be considering the circumstances."

"What will happen to me if my parents are dead?" Julia had decided to just go along with the oddly vivid dream. _No matter what I say it's all of no real consequence._

Healer Morris patted her hand sympathetically. "Let's see," he murmured as he examined the clipboard. "It says here that your contact – the one who's responsible for you should you ever wake – is Albus Dumbledore himself!" Julia blinked in surprise. _Ah well, I suppose it wouldn't be a Harry Potter dream without a few Harry Potter characters thrown in. _Morris leaned in as if sharing a secret. "You're quite lucky. He's a very famous and powerful wizard."

Julia held back a snort at his comment and focused on the fact that she was meeting a famous fictional character. "When do I meet him?"

Healer Morris hummed thoughtfully. "We need to send him an owl telling him you're awake first. We can let you know as soon as he responds. It may take a while," he warned her. "He's been very bust with all that's happening recently."

"What's been happening?" asked Julia.

"Nothing you need to worry about my dear," he told her. He stood up slowly and the chair disappeared with a wave of his wand. "I've got to go and start filling out some of your paperwork Miss Scott. I'll send in a nurse who will take you to get cleaned up and changed." Not knowing what else to do she nodded and he left, moving much faster than a man his apparent age could be expected to.

She didn't have long to wait at all until a young nurse came and walked straight up to her bed. "Hi Julia! I'm Nurse Willows, but you can call me Anna if you like." She winked and Julia raised a brow at the treatment. They were acting like she was a small child!

"According to Healer Morris you're suffering magical exhaustion so I'll help you get cleaned up and into your hospital robes. I'm sure you're eager to change after wearing the same thing for five years!"

Julia looked down. "Er – okay?" She had on a long-sleeved black dress that reached her knees with dark red tights underneath. Her tiny feet were clad in little black flats with tiny white bows that matched the white embroidery stitched into the hem and ends of her sleeves. The clothes looked clean and rather dressy.

Seeing her confusion Anna made to explain. "We couldn't reach you through the barrier your magic created around you. Everything in your cocoon was in stasis so it's not dirty or anything, but wearing the same dress for nearly five years still sounds pretty gross."

Julia grimaced. "Yeah, changing clothes sounds good."

"Wonderful!" Smiling brightly Anna situated an arm around Julia's upper back and another under her knees. Without any visible strain she lifted the girl from the bed and lowered her feet to the floor.

Julia took a moment to regain her balance and tried to keep upright. When she'd finally figured out how to work her leg muscles she irritably noticed that the nurse was still supporting the majority of her weight.

"Why am I so tired?" Julia demanded as Anna led her through the ward's door and into the hallway.

"I suspect that has to do with your state before the accident," said Anna patiently. "What you did takes a lot of magic. You may have been unchanging in that cocoon of yours, but it nearly killed you to reach that state." Julia only stared at the woman incredulously – she was starting to get annoyed with this dream. First off, she was _not_ a butterfly and was sick of them calling it a 'cocoon' around her. Secondly, and most importantly, she didn't like what this kind of dream said about her state of mind.

"But what abo–" Julia froze mid-sentence. She hadn't realized anything unusual all throughout their walk until just then. She was looking up at the young nurse – not only looking up, but looking up from the height of a child! "Why am I so small?" She didn't usually have dreams where she was younger or smaller than when she was awake, at least, not that she could think of.

Anna only laughed at her as she led them around a corner and to a door on the right side of the hallway. "Don't worry poppet, I hardly grew at all until I was thirteen. Shot up five inches third year! My poor parents were buying new robes left and right!"

Still in the mindset that she should just go along with whatever happened since it wasn't real anyway, Julia looked over her body and tried to make a guess as to how old she was. She came up to Anna's belly button, but that didn't help very much. Being so small she couldn't accurately judge the nurse's height.

"Um – could you – I mean, do you know how old I am?"

Anna smiled down at her. "I'm pretty sure you were eight when you entered your coma," she paused. "You know, if you hadn't entered your coma, you would have turned fourteen this year." _That's strange, I'm pretty sure I'm at least fifteen in real life…_

Julia hummed and let the woman lead her to the edge of a wide bath. Anna then went about pulling her shoes and tights off, followed by her dress and underclothes. Julia couldn't help blushing at being treated like a helpless child even though she knew it wasn't really happening. The nurse waved her wand and the clothes folded themselves into a neat pile.

Before Julia could protest, she was lifted under her arms and set down on the bench lining the sides of the bath. "Don't worry Julia," said Anna. "I'll make sure you don't fall in so you can just relax."

"A-Alright," agreed Julia.

To her surprise, what followed was one of the best experiences Julia had ever had. Anna filled the tub to the brim with warm, sweet-smelling water before massaging shampoo gently into Julia's scalp. Still exhausted due to whatever happened to her in the dream, Julia let the nurse turn her about and scrub her clean as she dozed.

In no time at all the tub was drained and Anna summoned a fluffy white towel from the shelf on the far side of the room. Julia couldn't help but blink sleepily as she was wrapped up and set down on the now-empty tub with her feet dangling in. The young nurse spoke to her all the while as she used a spell to dry the young girl's hair and then sat down to braid it.

The sensations caused by the conjured comb and the gentle fingers did nothing to help her drowsy state. Julia barely noticed as a soft white gown was slipped over her head followed by a pale grey outer robe.

Sometime between being scooped up to rest on Anna's hip and going back to the comatose ward she fell asleep, sinking into a blissful, dreamless darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_July 6__th__, 1995_

It had been two days since Julia's 'dream' had started and she had yet to wake up. On one hand, she was getting bored of being treated like a child. On the other hand, the whole situation was fascinating. She'd thought she just flitted from place to place and moment to moment, but… _What if all dreams were really this long and detailed? What if you just don't remember all of it when you wake up? _It was an interesting idea and the only explanation she could come up with.

"Julia?" The girl in question sat up from her pillows to greet the young nurse. She couldn't help but smile at the young woman in her familiar attire. The white blouse with the St. Mungo's insignia and the navy skirt were standard, but the bright yellow ribbons and multiple bracelets were not.

"Hey Anna," greeted Julia. Anna Willows was new to the Children's Ward at St. Mungo's, which is where Julia had been moved to after waking up. All the long-term patients under the age of thirteen were assigned a specific nurse to maintain stability and support when their families couldn't spend all their time at the hospital. Julia just so happened to be the first patient that the former Hufflepuff had sole responsibility for.

"Wonderful! I was hoping you'd be awake!" Anna was as cheerful and perky as ever it seemed. "Healer Morris told me Headmaster Dumbledore will be stopping by today so we have to get you dressed and ready for his visit."

"Okay," Julia clambered out of bed somewhat clumsily. She could move without pain and felt only a little fatigued after napping on and off repeatedly in the last 48 hours. "Where to first?"

Anna laughed at her enthusiasm and shook her head fondly. "Nurse Camille told me you've already had breakfast so I'll take you to get cleaned up and then I'll take you on a short walk to get your muscles stretched out."

Julia allowed Anna to take her hand and lead her about, all the while listening interestedly to the steady stream of chatter coming from the older girl.

"…Of course when I did the same thing nearly a year later my mum went ballistic. The poor sod next to her at the wedding nearly wet himself when she started whispering death threats under her breath half-way through the ceremony." By this point both Anna and Julia were laughing heartily, earning a few amused glances from the healers they passed.

"Can I see it?" Julia asked eagerly. Anna smiled fondly at her and sighed as if it were some great inconvenience.

"I suppose so," said Anna as she started to role up her sleeve. The younger girl stood on her tiptoes to get a glimpse but was foiled when the nurse lifted her arm higher. "Hold on poppet, I've got to poke it with my wand to get it to move again." Julia bounced impatiently as Anna pulled her wand from a pouch at her waist and pressed it to the inside of her wrist. "Here you go," announced the older girl with a proud smile.

Anna had finally lowered her arm and Julia got a glimpse of what she'd been dying to see. There, circling the nurse's wrist was a golden dragon whose details were outlined in black. The moving tattoo was small, only about two inches long, and flew around her wrist as if flying through the air.

"That is so brilliant," breathed Julia. "I want one."

Anna only laughed. "Maybe when you're older dear, but for now, let's get you back to your room for your meeting with Dumbledore."

"Right," agreed Julia easily. _I hope I don't wake up from this dream until after I get to meet with him._ Anna kept a tight hold on Julia's hand so the girl wouldn't rush ahead in her excitement. Julia was a little embarrassed to admit that being treated as an eight-year-old was making it hard not to act like one. _What does it say about me that I can so easily slip into the mindset of a child?_ She shook her head at herself, amused, as they finally reached the entrance to the children's ward.

"You can wait on your bed or in a chair, just don't wander off while I send for Healer Morris." Julia nodded solemnly at the request and giggled when Anna made to swat at her backside for pretending to be serious. "Henry?" A man reading a novel beside a sleeping boy's bedside looked up from across the room. "Can you make sure this little one –" "Hey!" "–doesn't wander off or get into trouble for a bit?"

"Sure thing, Anna," said the man with a friendly wave as Julia glowered a bit. She hadn't once disobeyed an adult and had been nothing but polite to everyone at the hospital. Anna only winked at Julia once before darting back into the hallway. Still somewhat miffed at the treatment, she stormed over to her bed and flopped onto her back.

The ceiling in the children's ward was more interesting that the one in the comatose ward, but the fluffy white clouds drifting above her could only hold her attention so long. _It's bad enough that I look like a child – now I've got the attention span of one too!_ Julia sat up and stretched her arms a bit.

There were no other children in the non-contagious half of the ward other than the sleeping four-year-old Henry was in charge of and the contagious half was impossible to enter if you weren't authorized. That left Julia with very little to do as she waited.

So she hummed quiet, made-up tunes to herself and skitted about between her bed and the door. Henry didn't seem to mind her frantic pacing and likely off-key humming, but then again he was practically absorbed in his book.

Just as she was beginning to worry about stomping a rut into the hospital floor Julia heard something _very_ intriguing. She had been pacing right inside the door when Healer Morris' somewhat frail voice floated through. "Before we go in I have to warn you – the coma did have one long-term affect on Miss Scott."

"And what might that be Liam? I take it the problem isn't dire or I assume I would have been informed in one of your letters…" The voice that trailed off was relatively deep and had the tell-tale scratchiness that came with old age, but none of the softness.

"No! No, of course not Albus," cajoled Morris. "You know I wouldn't leave out anything important. It's just, I wasn't sure at first and I'm not sure to what extent –"

"I think it best you inform me of the problem we're discussing before you continue any further Liam. I'm afraid I'm quite lost." There was a momentary silence on the other side of the door and Julia stood stock still, wondering what they thought was wrong with her. Soon enough, she had her answer.

"It's her memory," began Morris. "She doesn't remember the accident – which isn't a problem at all, a blessing rather – but she doesn't seem to remember anything else about her life either…" He sighed heavily before continuing. "The girl didn't know her own birthday, her last name, or even her parents when I showed her a picture of them." Julia winced at that, she hadn't thought she'd been so obvious.

"Can she still function? Or is she exhibiting a younger mentality?" The eavesdropper bristled a bit at that. _How dare he insinuate that I am not at my full mental capacity!_

"Not at all," assured Morris. "From what we've seen she's a perfectly functioning eight-year-old who seems to be above average intelligence for her age group. All that's missing are personal memories, social interactions, people and places from her past."

The other man, whom Julia had already identified as Dumbledore, hummed before venturing, "Perhaps it is best that she not remember her parents and friends. While she was frozen in time for five years her parents were dead and any friends she had were growing up. This way… she'll have a chance at a completely fresh start."

"Quite right Albus," said Morris in a less miserable tone than he'd been using before. "Well, now that you're aware, let's head in and meet with her then."

Panicking and afraid of being caught Julia sprinted over to her bed as fast as she could without making a ruckus. Miraculously, Julia made it in time to hop on her bed without Henry noticing_ and_ before the older wizards walked in.

She let out a relieved sigh when she saw that Morris and Dumbledore were still conversing pleasantly as they strode towards her. Then she saw the quirked mouth and raised eyebrow over electric blue eyes and she fought back a groan – he knew!

The two men ended whatever conversation they were having and Healer Morris walked over to say something to Henry while Dumbledore moved to the chair beside Julia's bed. He was tall and thin with the expected blue eyes, half-moon spectacles, and silvery beard. He only vaguely looked like the actor who played Dumbledore, which was odd, but Julia ignored it in favor of taking in his robes. The figure before her was wearing a flowing robe in a glaring shade of fuchsia that was left open to display a bright blue belt into which his beard was tucked.

"Hello Miss Scott," greeted Dumbledore pleasantly. "How are you this fine morning?"

"All right, thanks," said Julia politely. She was steadfastly trying to hold back her blush at having been caught eavesdropping and his knowing tone was only embarrassing her further. "And yourself sir?"

"I'm doing quite well actually." Dumbledore seemed to radiate kindness and joviality; that, along with the fact that he hadn't brought up her indiscretion, was enough to put her at ease.

Just then Healer Morris returned to Julia's side of the room and summoned a chair from an empty bed so that he could sit beside Dumbledore. Out of the corner of her eye Julia noticed that Henry had taken his charge and left the ward, leaving her alone with two fictional beings.

"If you haven't already guessed, this man here is Albus Dumbledore – Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And this lovely little lady is Julia Scott – one of our most intriguing patients," introduced Morris. Julia very nearly rolled her eyes; the healers at St. Mungo's were quite fascinated with her predicament.

Healer Morris took the clipboard from the end of her bed and studied it closely for a moment. He turned to Dumbledore, ignoring Julia as many other adults had done for the past two days. Apparently, they felt less inclined to explain her condition to her than to other adults. _As if I can't understand perfectly well,_ groused Julia. "According to our most recent tests Miss Scott is doing quite well all things considered. She'll continue to feel a bit weak for another three days or so both magically and physically, but after that there'll be nothing to worry about."

Julia beamed at them both in light of the good news – she was sick of tiring so easily – and Dumbledore smiled back before speaking. "That's wonderful news Liam." He pinned the Healer with a penetrating stare. "So we no longer have to worry about the time dust?"

Morris' expression turned sheepish. "Well – no, not exactly. She's still producing a small amount in her sleep, but from what I can gather of her condition that'll stop once she gets rid of the build-up left over from the coma."

"It also comes out when I sneeze," piped in Julia. She wrinkled her nose. "It's kind of gross actually…"

"I see." Dumbledore chuckled before turning serious eyes on the healer. It seems he too would be ignoring her due to her eight year old appearance. "And the Ministry hasn't tried to gain custody yet?" _Why would they want custody? Oh wait… time sand, _she realized belatedly. _Huh, maybe I'm the reason Hermione could get a time turner. They would have owed Dumbledore since he was the one who gave the ministry permission to collect the sand._

"They have," admitted Morris. "But they can't really do anything when her parents' will very clearly leaves you in charge of her fate." Julia remained silent in case they forgot about her and revealed something interesting. "I did give the sand from when she first woke up to the monthly unspeakable," said Morris. "Since then though, I've got the rest in a little glass jar for you – I figured you might like to experiment or study it." He fished said jar out of his pocket and passed it over.

Dumbledore examined the golden dust closely before putting it away inside a bag at his waist. "I'm sure I'll find something to do with it unless Miss Scott would like to keep it?" They had finally seemed to remember her presence.

"No go ahead." Julia shrugged before explaining herself. "It's not like I have any idea what to do with it. Besides," she continued, "I'm still producing some so feel free to keep that jar. To be honest, I'll be relieved when I stop waking up covered in it."

Dumbledore nodded his thanks and pocketed the jar at his waist before donning a slight more severe expression. "Now I've heard from Healer Morris that you don't remember the details of you life from before the accident?"

"Er – No – Not really," muttered Julia. She was somewhat embarrassed. She didn't like being put on the spot, not even in dreams.

"I'm sorry to hear it; your parents were wonderful people." Dumbledore patted her hand in a show of sympathy. "Of course, you do know why I'm here today?"

"Yes sir," said Julia. "My… parents left you in charge of what happens to me in case something happened. You're here to decide where I'll go once I leave the hospital."

Dumbledore shifted in his chair so he was facing both Julia and Healer Morris before speaking. "If there are no objections I'll be taking Julia to her new residence and guardians today." Julia gaped and Morris spluttered in shock while Dumbledore merely smiled innocently.

"B-But she's supposed to be on bed rest for the next three days! She only just woke up and you already have a place for her to stay?" Healer Morris looked completely taken aback and for a moment Julia feared he might have a heart attack.

"Oh, I'll be sure to inform her guardians of anything you feel would be important to her continued health. I thought it would be prudent to find Miss Scott a family before someone not looking out for her best interests tried to gain custody of her."

Morris' shocked faded to thoughtfulness but Julia only felt more confused. "Why would anybody try to gain custody if they didn't have my best interests in mind?"

Dumbledore turned his full attention on the eight year old before explaining gently. "The sand you've been producing is a very important and expensive resource that many would like to get their hands on. They might try to induce another panic attack where you would return to your comatose state in order to ensure you continued to produce the time sand."

"Oh," Julia breathed. She was starting to feel like her subconscious had an answer to everything. Then something occurred to her. "Will I at least get to say goodbye to Nurse Willows before I leave? I really like her."

She and Healer Morris turned to Dumbledore expectantly. "Of course Miss Scott," said the eccentric wizard. "In fact, I have to pick up some of your things from my home – I kept them for whenever you woke up." Julia beamed at the news, hoping she would be able to wear something other than the pale grey hospital wear. "I'll be back around three o'clock to check her out."

Dumbledore then nodded to both of them in farewell before sweeping out of the room, leaving the two rather bewildered at his abrupt departure. Morris blinked a few times before turning to face Julia. "No matter how many times I meet that man, I can never decide if he's rude, eccentric, or just plain insane."

Julia just laughed.


End file.
